1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of removing puncture sealing preparations from tires and also to apparatus for carrying out the method.
2. Description of Related Art
Sealing preparations are increasingly being used for tires with punctures. They mainly contain colloidal dispersions of polymers in aqueous media. Thus, by way of example, polystyrene butadiene latexes, polyvinylacetate latexes and rubber latexes are used. Such a sealing preparation is described in the German patent application 195 45 935.0, which contains natural rubber latex and an adhesive resin.
Following a tire puncture, the sealing preparation is sprayed into the tire via the tire valve and the tire is pumped up to a specific pressure by means of a propellant gas or compressor. The tire is then run for a few kilometers, depending on the nature of the defect, to distribute the sealing preparation within the interior of the tire and to seal the defect. Thereafter the tire may be fully inflated to its desired pressure.
The so-sealed tire must be later removed from the rim in a car repair workshop or at a tire fitters. A considerable proportion of the sprayed-in sealing preparation is present in a liquid form within the interior of the tire and can run out from the rim during the removal of the tire. The sealing preparation is sticky, unpleasant and also smells of ammonia. In addition, the sealing preparations contains natural rubber latex.
Contamination of the workshop with the sealing preparation thus should be avoided as far as possible. Accordingly, it is desirable to remove the sealing preparation from the tire prior to removal of the tire from the rim.